Crustacean insights

Last autumn's sharp decline in the catch of crab in the West Sea is expected to increase by up to 140% in this year's autumn fishing season. The National Institute of Fisheries Science analyzed that changes in the marine environment, such as the expansion of cold water currents, have positively affected the recovery of the crab fishing grounds. The institute projected that the crab catch in the West Sea during this autumn fishing season (August 21 to November 30) will increase by about 104 to 140% compared to last autumn (7,885 tons). This is within the range of 71 to 95% of the average over the past five years (11,539 tons). The crab catch in the West Sea during the autumn fishing season was 8,615 tons in 2015, 6,165 tons in 2018, 11,697 tons in 2021, and 17,100 tons in 2023.

In recent years, Hunchun has become the main hub for Russia to supply crab products to the Chinese market. Hunchun traders report that Kamchatka crabs are shipped to China at a price of over 320 yuan per kilogram. On average, up to 150 crabs are sold daily through online and offline sales. Last year, approximately 1.5 million Kamchatka crabs entered the Chinese market through Hunchun Port, valued at 3.31 billion yuan, accounting for over 80% of the total Chinese market. This figure is likely to continue to increase significantly this year. In 2024, China purchased a total of over 1.14 billion U.S. dollars worth of fresh/frozen crabs from Russia, a 16.7% increase from the previous year, with a total supply of 41,600 tons. Russia remains China's second-largest supplier of crabs and other crustaceans, second only to Ecuador, but with the continuous improvement of logistics and new warehousing capabilities along the Russia-China border, Russia has the opportunity to make greater progress in this area.

[Korean Farmers' Newspaper, Reporter Go Seong-jin] It is expected that the catch volume for the autumn season of crab in the West Sea, starting at the end of August, will increase by up to 40% compared to last year. The autumn season runs from August 21 to November 30. The National Institute of Fisheries Science (Director Choi Yong-seok) predicted on the 19th that the catch volume for crabs in the West Sea this autumn season will increase by 4 to 40% compared to last autumn. However, compared to the average of the past five years (11,539 tons), it is expected to decrease by 5 to 29%. The catch volume for crabs last autumn season was 7,885 tons, a sharp decline of 54% compared to 2023 (17,126 tons), resulting in a significant downturn in catch volume.